Category: Edmonton

Culinary Q & A with Sarah Clarke

Occupation: Officially I’m the Business Planning Manager for Alberta Justice. Unofficially I bake cakes and cupcakes.

What did you eat today?

French toast and a latte for breakfast, cheese quesadilla for lunch and grilled chicken with spinach/mozzarella ravioli for dinner.

What do you never eat?

Fruit and fresh tomatoes. Seriously, no fruit! I’ll eat raisins but not grapes and I’ll  eat banana bread but not a banana! My mom told me I’d get scurvy not eating fruit but I’ve made it this far so I think I’m in the clear!

What is your personal specialty?

My chocolate cupcakes with vanilla buttercream icing.

Complete this sentence: In my refrigerator, you will always find:

Eggs, butter and milk (gotta be ready to bake in a blink of an eye!)

What is your weekday meal standby?

If time is really limited, it’d be grilled cheese and soup otherwise I like making a stir fry or curry over rice.

What is your favourite kitchen item?

I love my Kitchen Aid mixer!

World ends tomorrow. Describe your last meal.

Tough question. My mom’s breaded chicken, a baked potato with butter and roasted corn on the cob followed by a slice of my chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream. Basic, clean, but absolutely delicious food!

Where do you eat out most frequently?

I don’t think I play favourites…I cater to my moods more often than frequent one restaurant. But a few of my favourites are OPM, Mikado, and New Asian Village.

What’s the best place to eat in Edmonton?

My favourite dish is at the Cactus Club in WEM. I love their butternut squash ravioli with scallops and fried sage leaves!!! Making myself hungry…

If you weren’t limited by geography, where and what would you eat?

I’d like to go to Thailand and try some authentic green curry…and of course ride an elephant (maybe not at the same time though)!

Sarah blogs at Thoughts about Things and Cake Sarah Sera.

My 2010 Wish List for Edmonton’s Food Scene

In January last year, I put together a wish list of things I wanted to see in Edmonton’s food scene. Though not many from that list have actually come to pass (yet), I thought it was time to note down some other culinary delights I would love to see more of in our city:

  • Breakfast joints and diners: Perhaps this point comes from watching one too many episodes of Diners, Drive Ins and Dives, but regardless, I think Edmonton has an under-developed breakfast culture. Sure, we have a handful of diners (Route 99, Urban Diner, Blue Plate Diner, and most recently, Cora’s), but every time I visit Calgary, I’m left with diner envy. Calgarians love their Nellie’s (have you seen the line-ups?), and have a plethora of casual weekend brunch options to choose from (Avenue Diner, Dairy Lane, Galaxie Diner, Diner Deluxe, and one of the newest, Over Easy Breakfast, just to name a few). What will it take to inject a more frenzied love (and market) for brunch in Edmonton?
  • Dessert bars: Though I do enjoy multi-course meals at a single restaurant, I’m also a huge fan of dining mobility, and being able to seamlessly relocate elsewhere for drinks, coffee, or dessert. Unfortunately, specialty dessert bars (such as Nectar in Calgary) have not yet landed in Edmonton.
  • Food trucks: A downside of following the New York food scene is having no real local point of reference to understand their amazing culture of food carts (to the point where food trucks are being used to promote a website launch for NBC). Aside from Fat Franks and Filistix, Edmonton is bereft of outdoor food purveyors. Though I recognize our long winters may play a factor, as well as a lack of critical mass of potential customers in the core, isn’t it cool to see food trucks Tweeting their daily location?
  • Rooftop patios and gardens: I realize Edmonton isn’t quite dense enough to have to resort to utilizing rooftop spaces yet, but there’s nothing like sipping a cool drink on a hot summer day on a rooftop patio. The Black Dog, Chili’s on Whyte Avenue, Latitude 53, and now, the Art Gallery of Alberta are all equipped with above-ground terraces, but I’m hoping for more. As for rooftop gardens – yes, it’s complicated to build, but when you see what’s possible (such as rooftop CSAs in the US), I want to dream.
  • Farm to table dinners: What’s better than eating a meal made from seasonal produce sourced from local farmers, expertly prepared to best highlight their clean, fresh flavours? Madison’s Grill is leading the charge on this, but I think there is a market for more intimate, community-oriented dinners. If it’s all about relationships, such experiences do more than simply expose diners to the exquisite products available close to home – they also bring those interested in supporting local farmers together.

What’s on your Edmonton food scene wish list?

Relaxed but Refined: Madison’s Grill

Did somebody say poutine?

That’s what I thought to myself when I saw the lunch menu being offered by Madison’s Grill during Downtown Dining Week. While I don’t normally have enough time to head into the core for a weekday lunch, a combination of some accrued overtime and sheer desire to try Chef Blair Lebsack’s upscale take on poutine drove me to make a reservation.

Though the restaurant was nearly empty when Mack and I arrived, it quickly filled up with diners from nearby office towers, many who seemed eager to partake in the special pre-fixe deals before us. In the elegant dining room, seated at the table clothed in white, the polished hardwood gleaming in the late morning sunlight, it was easy to just relax. And while I do enjoy the quick-serve options of my usual Chinatown lunches, the refined setting provided a nice change of pace.

I knew I had my heart set on the braised Spring Creek Ranch short rib poutine ($15) before I even entered the restaurant, but that’s not to say that the regular lunch menu did not have its own allure. From the Sylvan Star grilled cheese sandwich ($15) to the Irving’s pulled Berkshire pork sandwich ($16) and the grilled scallop and prawn risotto ($19), it was clear to both of us that this wouldn’t be our last daytime visit to Madison’s. Mack had to fight the urge to order a second helping of poutine, but eventually decided upon the prawn orzo ($15).

Before our food arrived, Blair was nice enough to chat with us for a bit. When I said I was surprised to find Sylvan Star cheese curds on the menu, he replied that the award-winning company only makes them a few times a year. For the occasion of Downtown Dining Week, Madison’s put in an order for 10 kg of curds! He also noted that the sauce Robert “gravy” was a reference not only to the French brown mustard sauce, but also to his Chef de Cuisine, Robert.

Our food was promptly delivered, and yes, I am happy to say that the poutine lived up to my high expectations. The squeaky cheese was divine, stringing errant fries together under a delicious gravy bath. And what of the short ribs? Off the bone came the meat, with just the right proportion of luxurious fat to enhance the tender richness of every bite.

Braised Spring Creek Ranch short rib poutine

Mack was equally enthralled with his prawn orzo (though he did slightly regret not ordering the poutine after a small taste). He thought the pasta had been cooked perfectly, and liked the combination of the prawn cream sauce and warm prawn salsa.

Prawn orzo

We were satisfied with our mains, and so declined the offer of a dessert menu from our server. Little did we know, Blair had a sweet surprise in store for us anyway, and brought over a complimentary trio of truffles. Beautifully plated, my favourite was the almond-coated round, with the flavour and texture of the toasted nuts pairing well with the dark chocolate. Mack preferred the orange-flavoured truffle.

Trio of truffles

Our lunch at Madison’s Grill was a breath of fresh air, and left us both relaxed and ready to return to work. It’s a safe bet we will be back soon.

Madison’s Grill (in the Union Bank Inn)
10053 Jasper Avenue
(780) 401-2222

Date with David Adjey @ NAIT

When Diane, the Communications Specialist at NAIT, told me about her plan for a “Date with David”, an intimate gathering of local food bloggers with their 2010 Hokanson Chef in Residence, I thought it was a great idea. Unlike last year’s media blitz, when I was lucky enough to get the opportunity to interview the 2009 Chef in Residence Rob Feenie, a group gathering would allow for more people to be a part of the excitement, and of course, to meet a well-known chef.

Thirteen bloggers, Diane, a cameraman (an unedited video of the evening will be posted here at a later date) and David Adjey assembled around a dining table set up in one of the teaching kitchens. Over the course of the hour, we were served a tasting menu prepared by NAIT’s Culinary Arts students, with all of the recipes taken from David’s latest cookbook, Deconstructing the Dish.

Dining with David

Bravo to the students for an excellent meal – I was expecting appetizer share plates, and instead, we were treated to five exquisitely prepared dishes. My favourite two courses were the halibut, perfectly cooked and served with a notable crab hash (the inclusion of plump kernels of corn was genius), and the beef tenderloin so flavourful and well prepared that it melted on my tongue like butter. Diane was also thoughtful enough to provide each of us with a copy of the night’s recipes.

Shrimp with spoon bread stuffing, kick-ass tartar sauce and wilted chicory

Arctic char with fennel braise and Yukon gold dumplings

Halibut with crab hash, saffron aioli and “angry” fritter garnish

Pork chop rubbed with “stir-fry” paste, baby bok choy and kumquat-garlic sauce

Beef tenderloin with red wine jus, lobster butter and a buttermilk onion ring

In between bites, David fielded questions from the bloggers and from Twitter users that had joined in on the conversation online. It was difficult to get a handle on Chef Adjey – between his facetious responses and constant references to money and women, I wanted David to cast aside the crude jokes for a moment to provide some serious answers.

David Adjey

Though his responses were wound through some pretty gratuitous anecdotes, we did end up with answers nonetheless – where he had dined in Edmonton so far (Hardware Grill, where he thought the portion sizes were too large), his thoughts on the locavore movement (he is in support of a diet sourced from nationwide ingredients, aka the “bullseye diet”, even though many of the ingredients he mentioned are imported), and his opinion on a lasting trend (varied portion sizes). David’s favourite chef is David Burke, he loved the food at Emeril Lagasse’s Delmonico in New Orleans, and though he respects Gordon Ramsay’s business sense, says that his on-screen demeanour is just the tip of his real self.

David said he might use his exposure in the future to help advocate for an increased pay scale for cooks (which is a very worthy battle to take on), as well as pushing the need for people to reduce their food intake. Between his new television show (which casts him as a restaurant consultant guru) and appearances as a keynote speaker, it remains to be seen if he utilizes his platform to promote such causes.

All dates with bloggers involve cameras, right?

In all, it was an interesting, if not enlightening evening. Thanks again to Diane for putting everything together, and to NAIT’s Culinary Arts program for being such a great host!

You can take a look at Mack’s photoset here, and watch for the full video of tonight to be uploaded here. Other recaps: Cathy at Walsh Cooks, Twyla at It’s a Weird, Wild and Wonderful Life, Bruce at Moments in Digital, Maki at In My Element, Chris at Eating is the Hard Part and Valerie at A Canadian Foodie.

Slow Food Edmonton’s Grilled Cheese Olympics: Recap

Combining comfort food with competition, Slow Food Edmonton’s first-ever Grilled Cheese Olympics took place this afternoon at Coast Wholesale Appliances. At stake: gift certificates for Paddy’s International Cheese Market, a grilled cheese sandwich at Madison’s Grill, Transcend Coffee, and the title of Grilled Cheese Olympic Champion.

Engraved Paderno spatula, in lieu of a medal

Coast Appliances turned out to be the perfect venue for the event – the space was bright and lofty, and equipped with some of the most beautiful ranges I have ever seen (all brand new, of course). Each of the competitors not only had top of the line stoves to work on, but the spectators also had plenty of room to watch.

Raymond Richmond and Nate Box work in front of the crowds

For a $2 entry fee (with all of the day’s proceeds going to send a young Albertan producer to Slow Food International’s Terra Madre), spectators were treated to samples of each of the thirteen sandwiches, which fell either in the “classic” or “contemporary” categories. Spectators were encouraged to vote for their favourite, which would earn a People’s Choice award.

Slow Food member Carrie distributes sandwiches to the hungry masses

While all sandwiches had to adhere to the Slow Food principles of “good, clean and fair”, competitors could choose to make either a “classic” sandwich (white bread, cheese, butter), or a “contemporary” sandwich (containing at least 60% cheese, and allowing for accompaniments). Some competitors did opt to enter both categories.

Ben Staley & Nathan Gour’s contemporary creation, made with goat cheese, brie, prosciutto, sundried tomatoes and served with a tomato compote (it won our People’s Choice votes)

The competition attracted a great mix of professional and amateur chefs – from Culina’s Cindy Lazarenko and Cyrus Shaoul from Kerstin’s Chocolates to Slow Food member Renita Falkenstern and two of Valerie’s Home Economics students from junior high school, it was obvious that everyone in the room loved food!

Cyrus means business

Renita presents her deep-fried grilled cheese sandwich

I didn’t envy the judges at all – besides having to sample and rate eighteen different sandwiches, they were pretty much grounded to the judges table for the entire competition. And lasting just over three hours, I know I felt exhausted, even with the freedom to move around to observe the prep work and cooking at the various stations.

Judges table (the Edmonton Journal’s Liane Faulder, Lux Steakhouse Executive Chef Tony Le, Fern Janzen of Paddy’s Cheese, and Madison’s Grill Executive Chef Blair Lebsack)

Each sandwich was introduced to the judges without the name of the competitor attached. They had to rate each sandwich for their presentation, taste, texture, style and “slowness” (if the product adhered to the principles of Slow Food).

Hard at work

During the lengthy judging process, I had a great time catching up with competitors, volunteers, and fellow spectators. It was a relaxing way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

Food bloggers represent! (Chris, Eating is the Hard Part)

Before the results were announced, the judges noted that they were impressed by the creativity of the entries. I have to second that – everything from chocolate to Danish pickles found their way into the sandwiches, and though I thought Sylvan Star would be the main player today, I was glad to see a variety of cheeses used including goat cheese, mascarpone, ricotta and caraway havarti.

Valerie presenting her students’ sandwich

And the winners were:

  • People’s Choice Classic: Nate Box, with his Tree Stone Bakery brioche and Sylvan Star Gouda sandwich
  • People’s Choice Contemporary: Valerie Rodgers-Lugonja and her Home Economics students, with her smoked paprika bread, applewood smoked cheddar, mozzarella, Asian pear and cumin seed bacon spread sandwich
  • Judges Choice Classic: Jeff Johnson, with his homemade bread, emmental, sharp cheddar (both raw milk cheeses) and goose fat sandwich
  • Judges Choice Contemporary: Ben Staley and Nathan Gour (of North 53 Catering), with their goat cheese, brie, prosciutto and sundried tomato sandwich

Congratulations to all of the winners!

Thanks to Thea for organizing a great event!

You can take a look at Mack’s photo set here.

Caterer of Choice: Taste of India

A few weeks ago I started planning a retreat for our team, to take place at the peaceful Strathcona Wilderness Centre, situated just outside of Sherwood Park. As the SWC has an open policy when it comes to food, we had no limitations when it came to catering options. As it made the most geographic sense to choose a company based in Sherwood Park, after some research, we decided on Taste of India. Not only was their per person price reasonable, but before we made the final agreement, the owner of the establishment invited my coworker and I to sample their food – on the house (an $11.50 lunch buffet).

We planned our visit for a Friday afternoon, after viewing and finalizing the booking with the folks at the Wilderness Centre. The restaurant apparently used to be a combination Indian and Mexican eatery, but the latter half has since been divided and will reopen as a comedy club soon. Taste of India was bustling with patrons when we arrived, with a large number of them seeming to be regulars. The owner was a grand hostess, and seemed to be familiar with most of the customers – it made for a very comfortable, jovial atmosphere.

Interior (lovely display of bangles)

The array of dishes on the buffet looked promising, especially when we saw a number of the more popular trays being replenished on a regular basis. All of my favourites were there – butter chicken, mutter paneer, pakoras – and some dishes I was less familiar with – beef kofta being one of them. Though we skipped over the cold dishes for fear of not having enough room, a tossed hot dog salad seemed strangely out of place.

Buffet

Food, glorious food

The butter chicken was necessarily tender, coated with a richly addictive sauce at a spice level agreeable to my palate. The beef kofta, as it turned out, tasted remarkably similar to the Swedish meatballs at IKEA. A surprise turned out to be the mixed vegetables (which were to be included in our catering order), the peas and green beans still retaining their crispness in spite of being tossed with a mildly spicy sauce and forced to languish under heat lamps.

My plate

Service was also good, with our water glasses never reaching empty. And of course, having the meal comped was a nice gesture. Needless to say, the whole experience – the meal and the owner’s generosity – won us over.

Bell located at the exit – it was rung quite a few times during our visit!

The catered food was equally as good. All of the dishes arrived hot, and even with 35 hungry mouths to feed, some of our staff were even able to go back for seconds. The naan, in particular, was stellar, slightly charred in places, but distinctly chewy, perfect for scooping up sauce-drenched butter chicken and channa masala.

To end, just a few photos of the Strathcona Wilderness Centre – we were fortunate to have sunshine on Thursday, and I took advantage of the weather with a short lunch hour stroll. I’d like to return some time in the future to rent their snowshoes or cross country skis – it would be a great excuse to get away to the country again!

Trail

Ski tracks

Peace

Taste of India
6 Blackfoot Rd, Strathcona County
(780) 449-2794

Strathcona Wilderness Centre
52535 Range Road 212, Strathcona County
(780) 922-3939

Generous Portions: Viet Huong Noodle House

I’ve walked past Viet Huong Noodle House on 107 Avenue too many times to count, but never really had the desire to try it. Being just a stone’s throw away from my office, however, meant it was just a matter of time before I did.

I met up with Dickson for lunch there this week. First impressions were not great – between the turquoise linoleum floor and worn, mismatched furniture, it was clear the space needed a complete overhaul. The LCD television screen (streaming a Vietnamese music concert much too loudly) and fish tank full of radiant blood parrots did help brighten the space somewhat, but for the most part, the interior matched the sad state of exterior affairs.

The service was curt and brisk, but the food arrived promptly. Our dishes were ill-timed though, with our bowls of steaming pho arriving just moments after our appetizer was delivered. Also, after making a request for chopsticks, we were a bit taken aback when he grabbed two pairs out of a jar by the ends. Needless to say, some tea-disinfecting ensued.

The green onion cake was a good-sized dish, especially given the $3.95 price. Satisfyingly crispy, they weren’t nearly salty enough for me, but I’m finding that’s typical for my palate.

Green Onion Cakes

The pho, size-wise, reminded me a lot of Ninh Kieu – it seemed like a never-ending bowl! Moreover, both our servings included an extremely generous amount of beef, bucking the standard of exaggerating portion amounts with a thick wicket of rice noodles. The broth was good, not great (and dusted with just a wee bit of cilantro), but was on par with many other such restaurants in the city.

Rice Noodle Soup with Medium Beef and Beef Brisket ($7.50)

Beef Noodle Soup with Combination Beef ($7.95)

Given Viet Huong’s proximity to my office, there’s a good chance I’d return if the weather was a deterrent to the lengthier trek to Chinatown’s Pho Tau Bay. But as spring is just around the corner, I’d have to say brisk lunch hour walks are in my immediate future.

Viet Huong Noodle House
10117 107 Avenue
(780) 424-9910
Tuesday – Saturday 10am-9pm, Sunday 10am-7pm, closed Mondays

Artful Dining: ZINC

In spite of my criticisms of Downtown Dining Week, I had every intention of partaking in the food festival. While I do think the Downtown Business Association could do much to expand and better promote the event, the pre-fixe menus are still undoubtedly a great way to sample new (and revisit favourite) restaurants.

ZINC, the sparkly new restaurant in the beautiful Art Gallery of Alberta, topped my list of eateries I wanted to try, with their $50, 4-course menu highlighting four of the current exhibits seeming too good to pass up. I wasn’t sure what to expect – most of the chatter has been decidedly negative, though there have been some bright spots for the month-old restaurant. Needless to say, our expectations at the gate leaned to the low side of the spectrum approaching our dinner.

A week prior, I made a reservation online (nope, not on Open Table), noting down a request for a window seat, as well as listing the special occasion we were celebrating. Upon arrival, we were seated one table shy of a window, and at no point was our occasion acknowledged. While I had no issue with either of these things, if the restaurant has no intention of fulfilling seating requests or recognizing the reason for dining, they should simply take those categories off of the reservation system.

The view from our table (the two-top next to us was taken when we arrived)

During our preview tour of the AGA in January, we were privy to a sneak peek of ZINC. At that time, I already knew I loved the soaring ceiling, floor-to-ceiling windows, and the dramatic cobalt-blue bar. Sitting inside the restaurant, however, the echo-chamber effect of the high ceiling wasn’t conducive to an intimate conversation, particularly with an unnecessarily long table. The metallic strip around the edges of the tables and as a menu backing were nice touches though, reminding diners of the restaurant’s namesake.

Interior (the Douglas fir wall is another beautiful feature)

Mack

We were a bit apprehensive about the service we would receive at ZINC, but as it turned out, we needn’t have worried. Our waiter, Nick, was excellent, and though he looked familiar to us, we couldn’t quite place him. We eventually asked if he had worked anywhere else in Edmonton, and he told us the Wildflower Grill had been his previous post (he had served us one of our best meals there). Nick was particularly great at explaining the connection each of the DDW dishes had to the art exhibits – I’d recommend asking to be seated in his section if you are concerned about potential service issues!

ZINC menu

Like Wildflower, ZINC also serves an amuse bouche. Presented on an ice-cold spoon, we were treated to foie gras yogurt topped with a raspberry segment. It was not our cup of tea – the guttural richness was not pleasing to our palates.

Foie Gras Amuse Bouche

The bread course, however, was! Hot (and I mean hot) out of the oven, two beautiful buns were delivered, accompanied by herbed butter. Mack especially appreciates warm bread (always noting the dearth of restaurants that pay attention to this comforting detail).

Gloriously Warm Bread!

My appetizer was a duo of sardines: sardine paté and grilled marinated sardine filet, with sundried tomato, brioche bread, and fresh herb salad. Apparently related to Goya, this dish had the weakest connection to art – Nick explained that during the Peninsular War, Goya’s native country of Spain had an alliance with Portugal. As a result, Chef David Omar drew inspiration from Portuguese cuisine, which includes the use of sardines and sundried tomatoes. I had to applaud Chef Omar for the playful presentation though, with the upright placement of the sardine, and the spin on sardines on toast. It was my favourite aspect of the dish (the paté, like the foie gras, was too strong for me). The greens were light and offered a burst of freshness, dressed with a champagne vinaigrette.

Duo of Sardines

Mack had decided to order off the regular menu, and thoroughly enjoyed his first dish of pan-seared scallops ($18), with sweet potato and maple ginger purée, red radish, organic microgreens, glace viande and citrus foam. The presentation was beautiful, and he noted that the scallops were cooked perfectly.

Pan-Seared Scallops

My entree was a trio of house-made ravioli (inspired by Karsh’s portraits), and was the dish I had been looking forward to the most. Unfortunately, it wasn’t executed quite right. The squid-ink ravioli was supposed to burst with its stuffing of an egg yolk and goat cheese, but unfortunately, had been bathed too long. On the other hand, the oyster mushroom and ricotta ravioli had been undercooked, the pasta still bearing that telltale chewy firmness. Still, I liked the creativity behind each of the pasta rounds, with my favourite being the black ravioli and its salty filling.

Trio of Ravioli

Mack’s Spring Creek Ranch beef tenderloin entree ($42) was similarly uneven. The steak was inconsistently prepared, with only a part of it registering the requested medium rare (the rest was most definitely well done). Mack did like the flavour of the watercress mashed potatoes though.

Spring Creek Ranch Pan-Seared Beef Tenderloin

We shared my dessert, a three part affair of corn pudding, caramelized popcorn and wild boar bacon ice cream. The duo of Cardiff/Miller inspired this plate – with Miller’s birthplace of the farming community of Vegreville leading to the use of corn and bacon. We were also supposed to combine the flavours of the dessert (as the couple work together to complete their art installations). The silky corn pudding was our favourite, and Mack noted its flavour resemblance to rice pudding. The bacon ice cream, aside from the occasional piece of bacon as a reminder, wasn’t as flavourful as I would have liked.

Cardiff/Miller Dessert

The last course was a chocolate little dancer martini, which I let Mack take care of. The Degas connection was in the movement and swirl of the Baileys and Kahlua within the transparent house-infused vanilla vodka. Mack liked the chocolate syrup rim, and finished the drink without complaint.

Chocolate Little Dancer Martini

It seems some of the early issues at the restaurant may have resolved themselves with time, but not all of them. I hope the rest of the kitchen miscues are eliminated soon, as I am optimistic that ZINC could evolve into a great restaurant. I hear that Chef Omar is working closely with area producers to include even more local content on the menu – this, combined with the creativity he demonstrated with the Downtown Dining Week menu, leads me to believe that the best may be yet to come.

ZINC (inside the Art Gallery of Alberta)
2 Sir Winston Churchill Square
Lunch: Tuesday-Saturday 11am-2:30pm; Dinner: Tuesday-Wednesday 5-9pm, Thursday-Saturday 5-11pm; Brunch: Sunday 10am-2pm; closed Mondays

Slow Food Edmonton’s Grilled Cheese Olympics!

While Slow Food Edmonton does host many events that allow citizens to celebrate and partake in local food, such as the ever-popular Indulgence, the annual Greens, Eggs and Ham picnic and the Wild Boar and Beer BBQ (which I am helping to put together this year), I do think the organization needs to plan more accessible (price and time-wise) activities to engage the public.

For that reason, I was delighted to hear about the Grilled Cheese Olympics. Taking place at Coast Wholesale Appliances on March 14, 2010, the event will see competitors prepare their best grilled cheese sandwiches in one of two categories (classic or contemporary), to be evaluated by a panel of judges. Prizes include gift certificates for Paddy’s International Cheese Market and a grilled cheese sandwich from Madison’s Grill. All ingredients used must be good, clean and fair (that means no Kraft Singles!), and it is a fun, light hearted event that inspired cooks of all ages can participate in. Moreover, all proceeds ($25/$20 to compete, $2 to watch) go to support a young Albertan producer to Slow Food International’s Terra Madre, a yearly event where attendees learn sustainable food production methods.

Thea Moss, Slow Food Edmonton Convivium Leader came up with the idea. “Slow Food Edmonton thought it would be great to get people out of the doldrums of winter with some friendly competition,” says Thea. “Expect to see some sort of comfort food smackdown every year!” When asked if she has a favourite sandwich creation, I was surprised to hear that she doesn’t. “I have childhood memories of getting a grilled cheese sandwich after drama class with my mum. In Australia [where Thea is originally from], grilled cheese is not really a thing, so it’s not something I’ve explored. I hope to discover my favourite at this Grilled Cheese Olympics!”

If you’re interested in participating (either as a competitor or a spectator), the guidelines are worth a read, particularly because the playful spirit of the event quickly becomes apparent. And you have to love Chad Moss’s description of a winning grilled cheese sandwich:

  • Presentation: How does the sandwich look. Is there obvious melty goodness oozing out the sides. Is it evenly browned. Were the edges cut off due to crust carbonization…(1-10, 10 being highest)
  • Taste: Does the sandwich evoke memories of grilled cheesy goodness that make you want to call your parents and apologize for everything you ever did wrong as a kid. Is it a revelation in the art of grilled cheese, or is it just – schmeh… (1-20, 20 being highest)
  • Texture: is the cheese stringyness in perfect balance with the crisp outer toasted crust. Is the bread soggy. Did anyone break a tooth on the bison jerky lurking under the crust. (1-5, 5 being the highest)
  • Style: was there a garnish. Did it need a garnish to begin with. What made this sandwich special and/or better than the rest. Is the sandwich balanced. Was bigger actually better. (1-5, 5 being the highest)
  • Slowness: How well did the sandwich and it’s ingredients represent Slow Food principles? Judges will need your written submission here to learn about the ingredients you chose. (1-10, 10 being highest)

The deadline to enter the Grilled Cheese Olympics is March 10, 2010. Hope to see you there!

Slow Food Edmonton’s Grilled Cheese Olympics
March 14, 2010, 3-6pm
Coast Wholesale Appliances, 5345 Gateway Boulevard

Edmonton Foodie Meetup 3: Recap

Sixteen foodies came together tonight for the third Edmonton Foodie Meetup at Famoso Neapolitan Pizzeria downtown. It was our largest gathering yet (read about our first and second meetups), which I think is a testament to the growing foodie community in the city.

Foodies!

When I called Famoso last week to make the reservation, and mentioned that the group was largely made up of food bloggers, the manager responded that he thought we were still at the stage of selecting a venue. I was surprised to find out that he knew about our upcoming gathering, but it turns out he is an avid reader of local blogs as well!

At any rate, I figured we would be treated like royalty, and we were. However, our special treatment, including two free platters of their dessert Nutella pizza, wasn’t out of the ordinary for large groups, though our timing helped. “Vino Wednesdays” sees complimentary bruschetta go out with all orders made after 5pm, and free wine samples offered to all patrons between 6 and 8:30pm. Our server did say that they pulled out the “reserve” red wine for our group though.

Complimentary Bruschetta and Wine

The pizzas (as always) were great as well, with that addictively-chewy crust that isn’t duplicated anywhere else in the city (well, besides other Famoso outposts).

Siciliana Pizza with Basil, Prosciutto, Italian Ham and Italian Sausage

Valerie was thoughtful enough to bring homemade truffles for everyone as well, made with decadent Valrhona Manjari and cocoa powder.

Valerie’s Truffles

It was great to put faces to names, and to meet and chat with other local food lovers. Because there have been quite a few recent additions to Edmonton’s blogging repertoire, I thought it might be useful to list those present at this meetup who do have food blogs:

For those who couldn’t make it, we hope to organize another meetup this summer, which will preferably be an outdoor potluck.

Thanks again to Chris for helping me pull this dinner together, and to Famoso for hosting a great evening!